Stratford Upon Avon day trips

by train and bus or car?

what sort of thing interests you?

I haven't been there personally, but Warwick Castle is definitely day trip distance and is quite popular. There's also Kenilworth.

We love seeing the beauty of the country of England. We have interests in wine and the coast/beach.

We really enjoyed a one day trip to the Cotswolds two years ago. I'm not sure how far that area is from there...we could certainly visit more of that area as we only spent one day.

We don't plan to have a car; but, we can rent one if we need to.

Thank you!

There is a reasonably frequent bus service, the #1 and #2 from Stratford to Moreton on the Marsh, 7 days a week.
There is an early bus at 0745 which connects with the various Cotswolds tours from there, arriving before the train from London.

One that comes to mind in the IWM Duxford if you like WWII aircraft. A number of Cotswold villages are near Stratford-Upon-Avon, such as, Blockley, Broadway, and Chipping Campden. Also nearby are The Rollright Stones. An hour away is Ironbridge with the first cast iron bridge built in 1779. Near it is Blists Hill Victorian Town. Then of course there is Black Country Living Museum in Dudley taking one back to the 1850s. It also has a recreated 1960s High Street. I have no idea about public transportation to any of those places.

We love seeing the beauty of the country of England. We have interests in wine and the coast/beach.

You’re not going to get to the beach in an easy day trip without a car from Stratford-upon-Avon as it’s pretty much as far from a beach as it gets.

There are some lovely National Trust properties nearby - Charlecote, Baddesley Clinton, etc.
Also I second the recommendation of Kenilworth Castle. I think a car would be very useful for you.

If you get up to Birmingham on the train, you can get pretty much anywhere in the country.

Duxford is a hugely long trip by bus and train and tube and train and taxi or bus from Stratford upon Avon, halfway across the country, and then the same in reverse going back. A very impressive place, but a bit far for a day trip without a car. To be honest, with at least 2 hours each way by car it is too far even that way.

There is a lot in Birmingham, easily reachable by train, Kenilworth and Warwick offer gardens and castles, Warwick has a fun medieval centre near the castle and a beautiful church with a tower that is open for climbing, and a medieval "hospital" (actually sort of like an ancient alms house) to visit.

I'm afraid that English wine is usually from grapes in Yorkshire (!!) and Sussex and Kent - so not much in the Midlands. That's pretty much beer country. Cider country is more west and southwest.

Gardens in November will be nothing much to see that isn't brown in November and the trees will have all lost their beautiful autumn leaves.

Birmingham has the National Trust Back to Backs houses just a very short walk from the train stations and a real glimpse into the lives of Victorian working class people - a place which gets missed by most tourists but is very worthwhile. Stairs. Closed Mondays, but open in November - must be booked in advance and only visitable by guided tours reserved with your timed ticket. The other way across town is the Jewelry Quarter where much of British jewelry is still made (including by a friend of mine). If you are late enough in November the Birmingham German Christmas Market may be getting started.

As far as the coast/beach, Stratford upon Avon is just a few miles from Meriden, the geographic centre of England, which means that you are as far away as possible from any coast or beaches. That's ok because with November weather, usually some of the worst in the year, the coast will be very windswept and rainy much of the time.

From Stratford on Avon if you want an air museum you could go to the RAF Museum Midlands which is at Cosford - and has a railway station on the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury line.
It's the northern branch of the RAF Museum in North London.